Article 5

Amid the history and architecture of St. Louis, Missouri, are several beautiful historical cemeteries. In many cases, their beauties are evident in their unique styles of architecture. I’ve written before about the Missouri Crematory, an important landmark in the history of cremation. But as cremation grew in popularity in the twentieth century, crematories were built in many of the major cemeteries in our nation. The cemetery became the most popular site for the placement of crematories and a cemetery in a large city was considered inadequate if it didn’t offer cremation services to its patrons.

In St. Louis, as in most metropolitan areas, many of the cemeteries opened their own crematories. Valhalla Cemetery, on St. Charles Rock Road, opened theirs in the early 1920’s as an addition to their historic mausoleum. Their Chapel of Memories houses bronze columbarium niches and a beautiful art deco chapel.

The neighboring cemetery, Oak Grove, wasn’t far behind. Their Gothic Revival Crematorium was built in 1940 and is one of the most beautiful structures of its use ever built.

At the southwest corner of the cemetery stands the Chapel Crematory which is visible from Hanley Road. Designed by Sidney Lovell, the famous mausoleum designer, the chapel is constructed of limestone and concrete and has a slate gable roof articulated with copper. Entering through the main doors, one enters the narthex which opens directly into the chapel. A huge, beautiful stained glass window at the back of the chapel catches the eye, the kaleidoscope of colors caught by the sun.

Seating in the chapel is in oak pews which number ten on each side. In the chancel area, an oak pulpit is set about three steps off the floor level and an oak chancel chair sits behind. A Moeller organ is to the right of the pulpit, its pipes hidden by the ornate wood screens about the angles in the chancel. In front of the pulpit, hidden by ornate rugs, is the casket lift. During services, when the crematorium was in use, the casket was placed horizontally on the casket lift. Upon the conclusion of the services, it was noiselessly lowered into the basement.

The chapel has a high-vaulted ceiling with concrete trusses that are cleverly painted to look like wood. Transom windows of stained glass, four pairs on each side, assist in lighting the elegant chapel.

Four gothic arches are on each side of the Chapel; the first three of these give way to a hall and align with smaller arches in the chambers. The back arch opens to an office on the southwest corner and a family area on the southeast.

From the narthex, hallways lead left and right and angle to run alongside the chapel terminating in the family room on the east side and an office on the west, and giving way to five individual chambers on each side. To the right, along the west side of the chapel, the first room is designated as an office. The second, which is the curve, is a columbarium with white marble-covered niches. The third, fourth and fifth are also columbaria, the third having marble-fronted niches, the fourth and fifth having bronze niches fronted with marble and glass. Each chamber is guarded with an ornate bronze gate.

To the left of the narthex, along the east side of the chapel, the chambers, also guarded with bronze gates, are used for storage areas at present but were designed as columbaria. The front corner chamber is used as the main office for the crematorium and the one immediately adjacent to the narthex is given over to ascending and descending stairs.

Each of the rooms on this level contain at least one stained-glass window, all of which were designed by the Franz Mayer Company of Munich.

Upon ascent of the stairs, one reaches the mezzanine level. The space amounts to a large area that sits above the narthex and front chambers of the main level and was likely designated as a music loft. The space now contains a large table used for cemetery board meetings above which is a large stained-glass window that matches the one at the back of the chapel. A railing separates the large open area of the chapel below from the balcony, and the space could feasibly be used for overflow were it ever necessary.

Two chambers are on each end of the space. One serves as a storage area, the other as a columbarium whose niches are covered with engraved marble tablets.

Upon descent of the stairs to the basement level, one is faced with a wide door and a hallway that goes right. The hallway gives way to the men’s and women’s lavatory facilities. Going through the door, one enters into the cremation department. To the right is a modern cooling facility beyond which is a large storage space.

The cremation retorts are situated horizontally in the room, their vaulted doors facing toward the west. Two retorts are in place and were manufactured by the Jones Incinerator Company which was originally based in St. Louis. The flue of the cremation chambers travels below the floor under the retorts and is a southeasterly direction, continues up a duct in the side of the building and across the roof, and makes its way to a stack that protrudes but a few feet above the roof and is topped with a copper spire.

Just beyond the cremation chambers is the elevator shaft, enclosed by three walls with a hinged door. The wide door opens to remove the casket, and upon removal, the casket is in line for easy transfer to the waiting cremation vaults.

With its atmosphere of peace and serenity, of permanence and rest, the chapel has become a repository of, not just the cremated remains of those trusted to her care, but also beautiful memories, unmarred by weather or the elements. The cinerary urns in their niches lend themselves to the overall beauty of the place. Only time can bring these attributes, and over time the chapel has remained sturdy and unchanged.

Of course, also with time comes necessary improvements and adjustments, but for the time being, she must remain a part of her poignant past and be a repository of the souls and remains trusted to her care and safekeeping.

Jason Ryan Engler is a Funeral Director in Rogers, Arkansas. He has studied cremation and its history throughout most of his life. He can be reached at arcremationist@hotmail.com.

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